[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6412522,"mediaKeyId","2505615-827463538db988b90bf692eee3697a60","parentId",2505615,"title","Tennessee mental health department asks Legislature for targeted funding to expand school liaisons, crisis and inpatient capacity","audioSeconds",1267,"startMs",606000,"endMs",1873000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2505615-827463538db988b90bf692eee3697a60&start=606&end=1873","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2505615-827463538db988b90bf692eee3697a60/thumbnail_606000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6412522/Tennessee-mental-health-department-asks-Legislature-for-targeted-funding-to-expand-school-liaisons-crisis-and-inpatient-capacity","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6412522-cd6956fadb1a267bf575ed0b6fb300a3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770945649&Signature=UI8AJqzRItOZYk7~ENr6HcOhZDEv00KQKekr0qfVKyHgLMX0qPpzr2Aiue2Vob10rXgZMSnsjFb-iKZ1loeXCrf6FaqtH9JoRLiF4zWYVRuYGvvW6aPXItp3JlvRTIweRwuYM9bYSK5NR4liP7QCkD1uHkVDDb9z3SuUVrIibmMiiy5VkVjwWh96-z1cbdI5f7bp73RMwmG5n55m7FmIXVMskI3exQ4ZheJAD4xbcBvAcuepcinRAN~KcZRWniB44ykqwzO5aSm15gto268XA5mDs1WKwlNJM23smH-jkq9C2-~BEK4o~kDA3g~lvyBKgpMCp7fo~BaWa5zpR7uylA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","TN State Legislature","date","2025-03-05T00:00:00Z","article","The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services told the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee on March 5 that it is requesting a mix of recurring and nonrecurring funding in fiscal year 2026 to expand school‑based behavioral health liaisons, shore up crisis services and increase capacity in state inpatient facilities.

The department said the package focuses on scaling evidence‑based programs already in use across urban and rural areas and on addressing workforce and rate pressures that limit provider capacity. Committee members pressed department leaders for operational details and for follow‑up on unspent funds from prior appropriations.

“We determined that this year's request would be targeted to continue to take to scale and shore up those evidence‑based outcomes supported programs that we fund,” the Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, told the committee.

Key requests outlined by the department included:
- $1,000,000 to expand the school‑based behavioral health liaison program, with a stated goal of funding one liaison for each public school.
- $5,100,000 to provide funding and contract staffing to increase capacity at state inpatient facilities (the department said this funding would come from certified public expenditure revenues via TennCare rather than direct state general fund dollars).
- $4,400,000 nonrecurring for the Tennessee Pathways behavioral health scholarship program to support graduate students who agree to work for participating nonprofits after graduation.
- $1,900,000 to increase residential substance use treatment rates.
- $4,000,000 recurring to make prior one‑time rate adjustments for the behavioral health safety net recurring.
- $1,400,000 nonrecurring for the crisis services continuum to address immediate gaps and higher-than-expected demand following 988 rollout.
- $30,700,000 (federal) for the fourth round of the State Opioid Response grant (continuation of existing federal funding). Other grant and program line items were described for wraparound, workforce development and community provider supports.

On workforce and program outcomes, the department told the committee that the school‑based liaison initiative had grown to 390 funded positions statewide. The Commissioner said the number of students receiving direct services via school‑based programs rose 255% over five years and that vacancy rates among providers have fallen in the year since prior rate investments: “year over year vacancy… 21 decrease in vacancy rates. That's 14% among the mental health providers and 7% among addiction treatment providers,” the Commissioner said.

Committee members asked for specific, verifiable operational numbers. Ty Thornton, the department’s chief of hospital operations, answered questions about a new law known in the hearing as “Jillian's Law,” saying, “So to date, there have been a total of 20 patients that have been sent to the Regional Mental Health Institutes under Jillian's law, with 2 of those patients being discharged.”

Deputy Commissioner Matt Yancey described the crisis system and recent utilization: “I mean, we have crisis lines that are operating 24 hours a day. … I believe last fiscal year, there was over 110,000 Tennesseans who called our crisis lines. I think there was maybe close to 70,000 people who received assessments through our mobile crisis teams. … almost 11,000 individuals who received a 23 hour observation in that CSU and almost 6,500 individuals who were served overnight, in the CSU beds,” he said. Later he summarized current infrastructure: “So I believe we have 12 at the moment. I think it's around 130 beds.”

Members also pressed the department on unspent prior appropriations and on capacity at specific state hospitals. The department said staff and the budget office are tracking unspent funds, will seek extensions where appropriate and will report back with final totals and explanations.

On facility projects, the department said the phase‑2 work at the Western Mental Health Institute, which includes kitchen and facility improvements, is under active planning and that the expansion would add 25 beds to the facility’s current total of 150 beds. The department said planning meetings are scheduled and that a timeline estimate will be provided when architects finalize designs. The department also said a new site is being considered for the Moccasin Bend replacement project after an archaeological survey showed the previously considered location was unsuitable.

Committee members asked department staff to provide follow‑up details requested during the hearing: a final accounting of unspent funds, updated wait times for inpatient admission, and estimated timelines for identified construction projects.

The department’s presentation included multiple recurring and grant funding proposals and a request that the committee consider making certain prior one‑time investments recurring so providers do not face sudden funding cliffs. The department emphasized that many of the proposals are intended to be implemented in coordination with TennCare, providers and local partners.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Finance, Ways, and Means Committee\tMar 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services told the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee on March 5 that it is requesting a mix of recurring and nonrecurring funding in fiscal year 2026 to expand school‑based behavioral health liaisons, shore up crisis services and increase capacity in state inpatient facilities.","taxTitle","taxId",0,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":-5,"_68":69,"_70":-5,"_71":72,"_73":72},6412496,"Tennessee DHS seeks tech and childcare investments; officials describe $155 million in skimmed SNAP benefits and $8 million reimbursed",900,2518000,3418000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2505615-827463538db988b90bf692eee3697a60&start=2518&end=3418","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2505615-827463538db988b90bf692eee3697a60/thumbnail_2518000.jpg","/articles/6412496/Tennessee-DHS-seeks-tech-and-childcare-investments-officials-describe-155-million-in-skimmed-SNAP-benefits-and-8-million-reimbursed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6412496-c08bb21ec92c756a25e0e842483229b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770945649&Signature=CTg3ZBKBsIkQlpr5qGqQZ~KNpEaixmLTqD6wSYpVxjSaxRt1MtsXgg7Q4kWdcArmlMuWt7HnRH6VYSnGK9eSkt3aPj6hFNZIQkBwJPJbyMAHyNk7EuW3VBbPZEEbDN207k5B1tIPTl3779RwYiAV3lwk4jTNc2e9dwfgf9hUPcWpyfImUqCT61q19sFaVQ3S1osnxMCofiuKia-bNykNxpMzr5Rn4oBxy~PCUEBwVVnykDFbOUHhg5m1whCsXJUjD5n5mgSkv9aS9MdV0kjsZoy~GYfiSNUo3mDC-OmFpsOPl8sxPi9-fEOQSK7GZWno9CcE5h0Zh0vbK8JgdQw0tA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Deputy Commissioner Whitney Page told the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee on March 5 that the Department of Human Services is seeking several recurring and nonrecurring appropriations for fiscal 2026 to modernize technology, expand childcare access and support child support enforcement.

“We're going to go ahead and let you get we will control the microphones up here. … Our first budget ask is going to be for 12,900,000.0 state dollars recurring, and this is for ongoing, maintenance and investment and department's technology,” Deputy Commissioner Whitney Page said during her presentation.

Page outlined nine principal requests the department presented to the committee: $12,900,000 recurring for information‑technology maintenance and cloud/mainframe costs; $5,900,000 recurring to expand Smart Steps childcare subsidy eligibility; $7,200,000 recurring to expand the wages program that supplements early‑childhood staff compensation; $15,000,000 nonrecurring for a Child Care Improvement Fund to cover capital and other costs not allowed by federal funds; $10,900,000 nonrecurring to expand a partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs to serve low‑income youth; $8,300,000 recurring to bridge child support enforcement funding gaps; $1,500,000 recurring for county office rentals; funding to maintain the Kids Central website; and $171,000 recurring in statutorily required step increases for assistant district attorneys in the child support program.

On the Boys & Girls Club proposal, Assistant Commissioner Callan Baggett described contracting and deliverable expectations, saying allocation will be tied to attendance and that a share will be distributed to clubs that serve new children: “the allocation will be based on average daily attendance as reported yearly by the clubs, and 10% will be distributed upon completion of the funding cycle and distributed to clubs who served new kids in a proportionate manner.”

The department said it expects the Boys & Girls Club partnership and other federal COVID‑relief supported efforts to expand access. The department also said its pre‑licensure unit, created in August 2021 to help new providers navigate licensing, has helped add over 21,000 childcare slots and expand county coverage from 35 to 51 counties.

Deputy Commissioner Page and other DHS officials described how the department will use a portion of the IT ask for ongoing cloud and mainframe transition costs as they complete a multi‑year migration and roll out program enhancements.

Committee members also pressed DHS about SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) EBT fraud commonly called “skimming.” DHS officials told the committee that, during the federal skimming reimbursement window, about $155 million in SNAP benefits were reported as stolen in Tennessee and that roughly $8 million was reimbursed to affected recipients under a short‑term federal reimbursement program. DHS said that federal authorization to reimburse skimmed benefits expired in the most recent continuing resolution and that the department is continuing to track incidents in cooperation with federal partners and law enforcement.

DHS witnesses described state steps to reduce future losses, including working with EBT vendors on customer protections (card controls via apps, PIN management) and with retailers and enforcement partners. Committee members asked for comparative national data; DHS said it would follow up with more detailed cross‑state comparisons and historic totals.

On food access more broadly, DHS said it will not continue federal Summer EBT in the same form but that the governor proposed $3,000,000 in state funds to fill targeted gaps in summer meal access this year by loading cards for children in counties underserved by summer‑meals sites.

Several lawmakers praised the department’s child‑care initiatives and asked for follow‑up on spending and slot creation tied to federal deadlines for COVID relief funds; DHS said the department is tracking invoices and expects federal deadlines to be met. Committee members also raised questions about application fraud, recertification timelines and SNAP fraud response procedures; DHS described verification steps, internal quality‑control and an Office of Inspector General that reviews alleged fraud.

Committee staff asked the department for follow‑up on the precise unspent balances of prior grants, detailed performance measures for the proposed Boys & Girls Club contracts and aggregate skimming data beyond the federal reimbursement window.

DHS officials closed by asking the committee to consider the department’s nine funding priorities as part of the FY2026 budget process.","At a March 5 budget hearing, the Department of Human Services requested recurring and nonrecurring funding for IT modernization, childcare expansion and child support enforcement, and reported widespread SNAP EBT 'skimming' that federal reimbursement briefly covered.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tennessee mental health department asks Legislature for targeted funding to expand school liaisons, crisis and inpatient capacity

Tennessee DHS seeks tech and childcare investments; officials describe $155 million in skimmed SNAP benefits and $8 million reimbursed